The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has recovered seven stolen luxury vehicles that were smuggled from Canada at Tin Can Island port in Lagos.
Internal Customs document dated May 5, 2026, showed that the intercepted luxury vehicles included a 2019 Lexus RX350, 2019 Mercedes-Benz G550, 2023 Land Rover Range Rover, 2019 Lamborghini Huracán, 2021 Rolls-Royce Dawn Convertible, 2018 Lamborghini Aventador, and a 2026 Toyota Tundra, all confirmed to have been stolen and illegally exported from Canada before ending up in Nigeria.
In a statement made available to journalists on Sunday, the NCS said the vehicles, traced to Canada, were intercepted in Nigeria as part of the service ongoing efforts to strengthen international confidence in Nigeria’s anti-smuggling and cargo intelligence system.
The Customs Area Controller (CAC) of Tin Can Island Command, Frank Onyeka, while handing over the vehicles to the Deputy High Commissioner of Canada to Nigeria, Nasser Salihou, said the recovery followed months of intelligence sharing and operational collaboration between the NCS and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, after authorities in Canada traced a number of stolen high-end vehicles believed to have been smuggled into Nigeria via international shipping channels.
Onyeka disclosed that one of the vehicles, a Toyota Tacoma, was initially concealed inside a container carrying other vehicles and had not yet exited Customs control before intelligence from Canadian authorities triggered immediate intervention.
According to him, once the alert was received and shipping documentation transmitted through official channels, officers of the Command moved swiftly to isolate the suspicious consignment, extract the affected vehicle and placed it under enforcement custody pending diplomatic verification.
“What looked like a routine cargo movement quickly became an international criminal investigation. Once intelligence reached us, we placed the consignment under enforcement watch and secured the vehicle pending confirmation from Canadian authorities,” Onyeka said.
He explained that the Service deliberately delayed the final release until officials of the Canadian government arrived in person to complete identification and recovery procedures.
“We had people who wanted to step in on behalf of others, but this was too sensitive. We insisted the handover must be directly to the Canadian government to preserve the integrity of the process,” he added.
The CAC reiterated that the operation signalled the NCS strength in fighting against transnational vehicle theft syndicates that exploit global shipping routes to move stolen automobiles across continents.
He further stated that the recovery has revealed the ongoing cooperation between Nigeria and Canada in intelligence sharing, cargo profiling and maritime enforcement, particularly in tackling organised cross-border crimes involving stolen assets, illicit trade and other fraudulent activities.
